Another Untitled
by Dreamers Deranged
Summary: It wasn't unusual for Hanabi to go missing like this every now and then. Still, after two weeks and still nothing from her, Hinata couldn't help but worry a little. -AU-


Disclaimer: I've noticed something. Naruto is a very fanfictiony anime. Why else would there be so many fics in this category? You can apply any kind of plot to it in any kind of setting because the characters allow you to do something like that? Isn't that cool? But in any case, I don't claim any kind of ownership to the show and all that's related.

xxx

Hinata was actually very worried for once. A rarity now since before there was nothing to ever worry about. There was at one time when she did, she remembered well enough in their earlier days how her sister would go missing for days at a time, leaving everyone frantic. Over a lengthy period though, all of them had grown accustomed to Hanabi's sporadic disappearances. Mainly because, even though she would go unseen, there were always clues that the younger Hyuuga sister had come around to gather something or other from the home, something that she needed on her adventures in the outside world. There was that, and her attendance record at school was perfect, so they knew that she went. As long as those pieces of evidence were around, there was nothing to worry about.

She would usually return within two weeks anyway.

It was a bit frustrating though, for Hinata anyway. With the projects that the sisters enjoyed creating together, it made it quite difficult for many to be completed with Hanabi running off like this. And with Hinata finally out of the house, it was even more of a hassle since Hanabi would tell her that she would go over, only to be sidetracked and not heard from until whenever she decided to show up again.

It not only upset Hinata that her sister would ditch her like this every now and then, but she would be lying to say that she didn't worry just a little now that she wasn't there to see her home, safe and sound. Though she was sure that someone would inform her of an actual disappearance, Hinata always did like to see for herself that her sister was safe. It brought her some peace.

So everytime a family memeber would call her home and ask if Hanabi was there, only to both come to the conlcusion that she had run off again, she would find herself wondering where her sister was. If she was warm, if she was fed, comfortable, provided for, safe.

It was only after a few more times this happened that she questioned herself on why she never thought about any of this when she was at home.

In any case, right now Hinata found herself extremely concerned for her missing sister. It had already gone past her usual two week span, and there was still no word from her. The poor girl couldn't help but feel anxious, especially after thinking negative thoughts when she found that they're latest project would be put on hiatus simply because she wasn't able to get a hold of her. That made her feel worse actually.

Hinata sighed and slumped lower in her chair, reviewing the things she had thought when first hearing about Hanabi vanishing again, wishing that her sister was safe and would come home again, if only for a short while just so that she could know that she was okay. At that point, it didn't matter if their next project had been dropped, just as long as she would come back, Hinata was perfectly fine with leaving it unfinished.

It was at that point her phone rang.

Fearing the worse about to come, the Hyuuga girl stood from her seat and crossed the small distance between her position and where the telephone rested on an end table.

"Hello?" she answered timidly.

"You have a collect call from," a robotic voice said on the other line, only to pause to let another voice answer.

"_Imoutou-chan_!" the real voice sounded a bit faint on the other end, but was recognizable all the same.

"Will you except the charges?" the other voice asked.

"Yes!" Hinata exclaimed into the phone. "Yes, I will!"

The two people were instantly connected.

"H-hello?" Hinata asked into the phone.

"_Onee-san_!" the other voice exclaimed. "Is that you?"

"Hanabi?" Hinata replied. "Where are you?"

"I've been kind of busy," the younger sister confessed. "Sorry, about ditching you back there, but I had a good idea for the booklet you wanted to write together."

"Where have you been?" Hinata tried to get some answers out of her.

"I was thinking," the other went on, completely ignoring the questions. "There's going to be a lot of setting for the different characters and since we've never really traveled to any of the places we would be describing, I thought it would be great to get some pictures of all of them and a first hand feel so that it would be detailed just right."

"Hanabi," Hinata said in a stronger tone. "Where are you."

There was no answer on the other end.

"Hanabi?"

"Um... New York?"

Hinata faltered on the other end.

"How could you possibly get to New York?" she questioned.

"Plane?"

"Don't be smart," the older warned.

"Well, if it's all the same, I'd rather not be dumb."

Hinata could hear the condescending smirk on her face.

"Hanabi," she tried again. "Why are you in New York."

"I told you why," Hanabi said. "To get a first hand feel of it. The only state I've been to so far is California, so I didn't have to go there. I already have pictures of that."

"When did you go to California?!" Hinata cried.

"That's not important," Hanabi told her. "What is right now, is that I've got pictures and I'm sending them to you right now. You still use the same e-mail, right?"

"Y-yeah," Hinata said. "But how are you getting around."

"The same way I always do."

Hinata sweat-dropped. "You're not going to tell me are you?" she sighed.

"Eventually," Hanabi promised. "But not right now, I have to catch this next flight."

"Where are you going now?"

"London," the other girl answered. "I'll be going around the UK for a bit of sightseeing, but then I'll just go across Europe to the important places. Thing is, _Onee-san_, I don't know what those are, so you're going to have to start writing already. And when you can, e-mail me the list of all the places we'll need. I want to finish by Christmas."

"Christmas? Why?"

"So I can get home by New Year's," Hanabi answered, like it was the most obvious reason. "I figure if we start before Halloween, we can finish by Christmas."

Hinata sighed. "Hanabi, we don't have to do this, I mean, we've never finished anything else before."

"But that's why I'm doing this," Hanabi told her. "So we can finish something."

Hinata hesitated before answering. "You're not going to come home until it's done are you?"

"Nope, so you better get writing. I only know that we needed L.A, New York, London, and Bretagne. Were we going to do Paris too?"

"Ah, no," Hinata answered. "We decided to throw that out, because it was a dead end."

"Right, right... Okay, then! Figure the rest of the plot out, _Onee-san_! I'll leave that up to you and I'll be the research."

"Hanabi."

"Yeah?"

"Be careful," Hinata said.

"Don't worry about me," Hanabi tried to sound as reassuring as possible. "I'm always on guard. Ah, Hinata."

"Yes?"

Hinata heard Hanabi breathe out a heavy breath. "Could you tell Father where I am?"

"Why don't you call and tell him?" Hinata asked her.

"Because.. If I do, he'll get mad and never let me out again."

"Hanabi, you've been disappearing off and on like this since you were ten," Hinata reminded. "I'm pretty sure he's not going to be able to stop you from going out when you want."

"Fine," Hanabi sighed on the other end. "I'll call home when my flight lands, but if he calls, just tell him and that I'll call when I can."

"Alright," Hinata conceded. "But I'm not telling him the reason why, otherwise he'll blame me, and I don't need that right now."

"I know, I won't tell him either," Hanabi told her. "Now, I have to go. I'll send out the pictures as soon as I can, you should already be getting the ones for New York and L.A., so check your mail. And start writing!"

"Alright, alright," Hinata said. "Catch your flight."

"Okay, bye!"

Hinata heard nothing but dial tone after that.

The older sibling sighed and shook her head. She should have known better than to worry. Hanabi could take care of herself, she always had been able to, everyone knew that. That was probably the only reason why no one made any attempt to stop her casual disappearances. Still, it was a big relief to hear from her. Just a little proof that she was okay.

With that settled, Hinata decided to check her mail.

xxx

A/N: Blah, I think my fanfics are turning into my blog. XP Not much to say on this. I got a call from Billie today and when I sat down to finish a chapter for something else, this came out. Not sure what it is, but whatever. Anyway, like the other Untitled one I wrote... Wednesday? I don't remember. Anyway, like that one, I couldn't come up with a name for this, so if anyone read it, and thought of one, let me know. Appreciate it much. Later much, I'm out.

-Laith


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